The Hawthornes, still doin' South Africa

Indonesia… 5 Weeks Late

Sorry it’s been so long since we’ve posted! First, we were on holiday; then, we moved; then Roxy and I were too busy being fat and lazy while Lizzy was busy in Virginia helping her parents move. But we’re all back in SA now, so it’s back to life — and blogging — as usual!

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Our trip to Indonesia was absolutely amazing. My brother and I have always thought of our cousins as more like extended siblings, so it was amazing for Lizzy and me to get to experience Indonesia through the eyes of my cousin Sara-Manson who lives there with her new hubby Chad. Also visiting were Manson’s brother / my cousin Bo and his wife Casey , along with two of Bo’s buddies from his Hotlanta days, Disco and Christie – or as Lizzy dubbed them, Crisco.

Manson and Chad were the perfect hosts – everything was organized and booked, and every event went off so seamlessly that it was easy to forget just how much planning had been done. And it’s quite dangerous to subject a new spouse to so much Hawthorne mojo so early in the marriage. Chad was touch and go for a while, but came out with minimal scarring and just a slight nervous tick.

What a place, what a group of people, what a trip! Lizzy’s captions on the pictures tell the story, so please take a few minutes to click through them. I just wanted to touch on a few highlights.

The Chinese market in Jakarta on our first day was amazing – where else can you buy your eels, dried squid, live cobra, 80 cent DVDs, and wiener shaped bottle opener and stop by the temple for a quick prayer, all in one convenient spot?

And Bali is just super cool. The laid back vibe hits you right in the sweet spot, and I can’t stress enough how refreshing the positivity, happiness, and joy that the Balinese bring to everyday life is. Such cool people.

A highlight for me was having a local Yogi take Lizzy, Manson, and I through a traditional Balinese Hindu healing ritual in an ancient local natural spring temple. Absolutely amazing.

And the sights! I could have stayed on our 5 star villa for 6 months without getting bored.

The 3 (yes, three) massages I had during our stay were the best I’ve ever had – and priced at about $20 for an hour. The villa had the nicest, warmest staff in the world.

Our bike/scooter ride through the countryside, the art, the food, the market in Ubud, all amazing. I picked up the book “Stuff White People Like” from Bo in our White Elephant gift exchange – it’s an absolute classic, and is reminding me of how White I am as I write this.

The Hotel Mulia, where Chad works and he and Manson live, is stunning. The number one hotel in Jakarta, with 1000 rooms. And who else do you know who has a night club in their basement?!

Thanks so much to our gracious hosts for showing us your home country, and to our fellow travellers for a holiday we will remember always. Enjoy the pics!

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